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Dessert Aux Chefs de France

It’s chocolate profiterole week at the food blog! My French may be abysmal, but we get to make another quick visit today to Epcot’s Les Chefs de France with guest poster and photographer extraordinaire, James Chapman, from DisneyfotoBlog.com. Thanks for sharing, James!

Chefs de France (c)FJFuchs

“Eating a pastry at the Les Chefs de France restaurant in Epcot is an experience and pleasure far beyond simply finishing the dessert at the end of a good meal. The French pâtissier has provided an exceptional dessert menu that offers items ranging from rich chocolate delicacies, to sorbet with elephant ear and fruits, to their signature crème brulée.

Garde Manger Caramelizes Creme Brulee

Both my wife and I enjoy dark chocolate, ice cream, and fruit, so we decided to order and share two different desserts, Profiterolles au Chocolat and Assiette de Sorbets du jour et son palmier. Both were excellent, especially on a warm (hot) summer day in July, and we would highly recommend both desserts with a slight emphasis on the Profiterolles au Chocolat for those who really crave a chocolate treat!

Assiette de Sorbets du jour et son palmier

Profiterolles au Chocolat

The Garde Manger shown in the photo above plated each dessert expertly, and after watching her caramelize the crème brulée, I knew that there would be many visits to Les Chefs de France in our family’s future! Bon appetit!”

Help! I Need a New Favorite Drink!

By admin 17 Comments

Friends of the Food Blog, I need your guidance. My favorite alcoholic drink in Disney World is being phased out, and I need a replacement. Stat.

Born at 8 Trax Dance Club in the now-defunct Pleasure Island, the Leisure Suit was everything delicious all in one glass:

Leisure Suite Drink Recipe

Leisure Suit and Disney World's CURRENT Pool Bar Drink Menu

Now, a combination of 8 Trax closing and the “standard” drink menu being ushered into all Disney restaurants and bars a few years ago has meant that my beloved Leisure Suit is fading fast.

Luckily, as you see above, some of the more experienced Disney bartenders (this one’s from Petal’s Pool Bar at Pop Century) do remember the drink and can find the recipe in the hard-copy rolodex behind the bar. But I can’t always rely on the kindness of strangers…and I’m getting tired of explaining the long list of ingredients 😉

So it’s become clear that I’m going to have to find a new favorite drink in Disney World — preferably one that’s still readily available somewhere — and I’m coming to you guys for suggestions.

What’s your favorite? It can be from anywhere: World Showcase, your favorite Resort restaurant, a Pool Bar, a theme park Restaurant…anywhere! Let me know via email, facebook, or twitter! Hopefully I’ll get enough suggestions that I can post a “top three” list next week!

Thanks in advance!

Epcot’s Italy Pavilion: Tutto Italia

By admin 6 Comments

Pinvestigator Cody, who writes the Global Disney Pinvestigation blog, has graced us again with another round of incredible food photos and a great restaurant review. This time, we get insight into lunch at Tutto Italia, the restaurant that recently replaced Alfredo’s in Epcot’s Italy pavilion. Thanks again, Pinvestigator!

Epcot's Italy Pavilion

Arriving at the quaint little Italian restaurant in the back of the pavilion I was a bit nervous…for many reasons. One: I am very picky about my Italian food, because I’m not a HUGE fan of tomatoes. (I was worried, along with my mother, that there were going to be giant chunks of tomatoes in the sauce.) And two: I’ve heard mixed reviews in general of the Italy pavilion food, about both the previous and this restaurant. But I was pleasantly surprised.

We were right on time, arriving at Tutto Italia at 3:10 with a 3:15 ADR. We checked in and sat down right away. The waiting room was not full, but the seating area (dining area) was! Lunch was ending at 3:30, and dinner beginning 4:00.

Tutto Italia Dining Room

After being seated, we had to wait a bit for our waiter. While we were waiting, the host brought us a basket of bread and a plate of oil, which he poured for us right there. There were two types of white bread, several HARD breadsticks, and a curved, cracker-like bread. We enjoyed them all.

Bread and Oil

The oil was very spicy! It looked normal, so I drenched my bread in it and took a huge bite. (This was BEFORE our waiter came and took our drink order!) The oil was fine at first, then hit the back of my throat with the spiciness. It was OK, just surprising.

Tutto Italia Bread-Making Room

The waiter came to take our orders, and within about 15 minutes our food arrived. I got the Lasagna al Forno, which had meat ragu, bechamel, and parmesan. It was delicious…and BIG — about 5in by 5in square in the dish. And although I was skeptical about the sauce (as I mentioned before) the tomatoes were small, and I could hardly taste or feel them. The dish was SOOOO cheesy and surprisingly really good.

Tutto Italia Lasagne

My dad had a Bucatini Gratinati dish with Italian prosciutto, peas, and parmesan cheese. He really will eat anything, but he really liked it.

Bucatini Gratinati

But the real deal breaker on whether we would ever come back is my mother. She just got Spaghetti with Veal Meatballs and Pomodoro Sauce. It came in a BIG dish with about six, one-inch round meatballs. She liked it, and felt the same about the sauce as I did. So overall, the meal was good.

Spaghetti with Veal Meatballs

As I sat in the restaurant during lunch, I saw MANY different desserts pass by. I got the Profiteroles, which were puff pastry with vanilla gelato and hot chocolate syrup. It arrived quickly with two CMs; one gave me the dish, then the other poured the GRAVY BOAT full of chocolate syrup on the three profiteroles.

Profiteroles with Hot Chocolate Sauce

While I’m not a very adventurous eater, I definitely would go back…but Tutto Italia is NO Le Cellier!

Rating: 4 of 5
Accepts Tables in Wonderland Dining Discount Card?: yes
Food: 4 of 5

Thanks, Cody! Click here to see our review of Carnivale at Tutto Italia!

Le Cellier Cheddar Cheese Soup…to go?

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Today the Food Blog has been shocked and excited to learn that maybe…just maybe…it’s possible to get Cheddar Cheese Soup from the Epcot World Showcase Canada Pavilion’s famous Le Cellier steakhouse without a coveted (and hard-to-get) advanced dining reservation! Guest poster James Chapman from the (soon to be live) DisneyfotoBlog.com shares his experience and photos.2012 NOTE: We have heard that the Soup to Go option has not been available for quite some time. 🙁

I first had the Canadian Cheese Soup at the 2008 Food & Wine Festival and absolutely loved it! I never would have thought that “cheese soup” would turn out to be one of my favorite foods from the event, along with the chocolate on chocolate dessert from the African cart, the Empanada de Queso from Chile, and Spanakopita from Greece.

Cheddar Cheese Soup, Breadsticks, and Moosehead Beet

Amy and I were fortunate to have two wonderful visits to the Food & Wine Festival last year: once during late September where the lines were 2-5 people deep, and then in early November on the last weekend of the event with the park slammed and the lines 10-20 people deep. We enjoyed both visits and had a great time tasting either a dinner, wine, or dessert from each of the 25 carts along the walkway. During our second visit in November, I had the opportunity to try the cheese soup from the Canadian cart, paired with a Moosehead beer, and both were delicious!

Having had the opportunity to try the cheese soup during the festival, I hoped that I would have another chance to taste it again during a future visit to Epcot. During our June 2009 visit, with Amy and Chloe enjoying a ride on Nemo at the Living Seas Pavilion, and while I was out taking photographs at the World Showcase, I decided to stop by the Le Cellier Steakhouse to see if I could purchase a “cup-to-go” for lunch!

Cheese Soup Thief

I wasn’t quite sure if I’d be successful as reservations are required, however, a kind host welcoming guests to the restaurant spoke to a waiter inside; within a few moments, I not only had a cup of cheese soup to go, but also three delectable bread sticks! I strolled up to the beer cart and purchased a Moosehead beer to go along with the soup and found a nearby quiet location to sit down and enjoy my feast.

Just to confirm, folks, you can order the soup any time of the year just by walking up to the podium at Le Cellier! There are no seasonal restrictions. Bon Appetit! –AJ

Epcot Food and Wine Festival Kiosk Countries and Menus

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Click Here for 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Menus for the World Showcase Booths!

Below, you’ll find the 2009 Booths and Menus from the Epcot Food and Wine Festival. While many are being duplicated for the 2010 festival, click on the link above to see full menus and photos for the 2010 Booths.

Come hungry, and sample some tapas-sized portions of these delicious items all the way “around the world!”

Athens, Greece
Location: Canada Pavilion

* • Greek Salad with Pita Bread
* • Spanakopita (Savory Spinach and Cheese Pastry)
* • Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki
* • Baklava
* • Beverage Selection: Boutari Moschofilero, Boutari Santorini, Kourtaki Mavrodaphne of Patras, Tsantali Rapsani

Bangkok, Thailand – NEW
Location: Africa Outpost

* • Chicken and Coconut Soup, with Mushrooms, Lemongrass & Ginger
* • Green Papaya Salad with Shrimp
* • Beverage Selection: Singha Beer

Barcelona, Spain
Location: Mexico Pavilion

* • Taste of Spain (Serrano Ham, Chorizo, Manchego, Olives, Tomato Bread)
* • Red Snapper Escabeche
* • Crema Catalana
* • Beverage Selection: Poema Cava Brut, Bodega Don Olegario Albariño, Poema Verdejo, Abadia Retuerta Selección Especial

Bologna, Italy
Location: Italy Pavilion

* • Pizza
* • Cannelloni
* • Polpetti (Italian Meatballs with traditional tomato sauce)
* • Beverage Selection: Prosecco, Chianti Placido, Pinot Sartori, Acqua Panna, Primavera (Strawberry, Banana, and Peach Slush)

[Read more…]

Best Disney World Restaurants for Fireworks Viewing: Part II

By admin 23 Comments

Love the magnificent nighttime display of fireworks and lasers at Epcot during Illuminations? Here’s your guide to the best restaurants from which to watch Illuminations!

World Showcase

This is the second in our series of Best Disney World Restaurants for Fireworks Viewing! Today, we’ll discuss the restaurants with the best views for Illuminations fireworks viewing. (The previous blog post, Part I, has information about Happily Ever After fireworks viewing.)

Illuminations, Reflections of Earth, is shown at Epcot at 9:00PM every night, Saturday-Thursday. Friday nights vary between 9:00PM and 8:00PM depending on Epcot’s schedule.

Rose and Crown Pub and Dining Room, patio table
Rose and Crown in Epcot’s United Kingdom pavilion is the quintessential dining and viewing spot for Illuminations. If you’re lucky enough to get one of the coveted tables out on the covered patio, Rose and Crown’s view of Illuminations will offer you one of best experiences in Walt Disney World. There’s simply nothing like it.

Rose and Crown Pub and Dining Room

That said, the fierce competition for these tables has made me forego even making a reservation for dinner at Rose and Crown over the past few visits to Disney World. While Rose and Crown cannot guarantee their ability to grant requests for patio tables, hopefuls begin crowding the podium before 7:00PM each night, willing to wait as long as it takes. The line of patrons waiting to check in can stretch all the way to Tudor Lane. As a result, Rose and Crown has instituted a policy (in my experience) that those checking in at the podium may wait only one hour for a table request; after an hour, they must take the table offered, or choose not to dine at Rose and Crown.

Patio View

How can you improve your chances? Visit Disney World during a slow season (e.g. Winter or early Fall), book your reservation for around 7:30-7:45pm (it’s simply not fair to the servers to book earlier; unless, of course, you’re willing to pay three times the tip!), and tell the cast members when you check in that you’re willing to wait the hour for a fireworks-view, patio table.

Back Patio

Note that the Rose and Crown patio stretches around the Rose and Crown, meaning you might be seated at the side of the restaurant. You can still see the fireworks here, but the view will not be as good as from the back patio, directly next to the lagoon. You can specify that you’re requesting a back-patio, fireworks-view table, but patio is patio…

Side Patio

Rose and Crown is a casual restaurant; park-wear is acceptable. No reason to dress up. By the way, the potato and leek soup is to die for!

La Hacienda de San Angel
One of the restaurants in Epcot’s Mexico Pavilion, La Hacienda de San Angel, offers — for the first time in Epcot history — an Illuminations view rivaling that at Rose & Crown! While many of the tables offer excellent views (the windows are expansive), those that are right up against the windows will be highly prized.

View from Our La Hacienda de San Angel Window Table

One of the Main Dining Rooms at La Hacienda

Monsieur Paul
This high-end restaurant located on the second floor of the building housing Les Chefs de France in Epcot’s France pavilion has excellent Illuminations viewing. Again, you’ll want to arrive early and request a window table, but a steep price and nearly hidden entrance (the entrance to Monsieur Paul is hidden around the back of the Le Chefs de France building) mean that competition for seating is limited compared to Rose and Crown.

Fireworks from Bistro de Paris Window

The dining here is top-notch, but the view from the second story windows can’t be beat. Dress up for this one, and make it a celebration.

Cantina de San Angel
The Mexico pavilion’s counter service dining option has been touted by some, panned by others, but everyone agrees that it’s a good option for watching Illuminations…assuming you can commandeer a table and stand your ground!

Cantina de San Angel

Because the tables are lined up along the World Showcase Lagoon, patrons have complained about kiddos squeezing themselves between tables and fence to get a better view. Also, folks who might not have as much need for personal space as you do may invite themselves to infringe upon yours by “sharing” your table.

This spot might be more hassle than it’s worth, but it’s an inexpensive way to get one of the best views in the park. And the food’s tasty, too!

Tokyo Dining
Tokyo Dining, in Epcot’s Japan pavilion specializes in sushi and tempura, and the restaurant shares the second floor of the Mitsukoshi Department Store building with Japan’s other table-service restaurant, Teppan Edo.

This might be your best bet for getting an advanced dining reservation fewer than 90 days out, as many folks don’t yet know about Tokyo Dining, aren’t sure where it is, or simply don’t want to try the food. Luckily, this means that the floor-to-ceiling window views are up for grabs!

Dining Room

As with the other restaurants, make a reservation for an hour or so before Illuminations and arrive early. Request a window table (tell them you’ll wait if necessary). Once seated, enjoy your meal leisurely until the show begins.

View of World Showcase Lagoon

Note that there is an outdoor, public walkway along the windows at Tokyo Dining. If people notice it’s there, they may crowd it before the show. You’ll still be able to see the fireworks, but this could possibly block the view a bit.

Outdoor Walkway

Tokyo Dining is a more casual restaurant; park-wear is acceptable.

Other Potential Viewing Spots With Dining
While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend either of these spots for Illuminations viewing, Tangierine Cafe in Morocco and Liberty Inn at the American Adventure might offer a decent place to sit to see the higher-up fireworks. At Tangierine Cafe, even if you’re sitting outside (the windows are too opaque to see from the inside), the crowds will likely mar your view of the action on the water. At Liberty Inn, the American Gardens Theater tends to block out the lagoon view. But both offer spots to sit, take a load off, and nosh a bit while you listen to the music and enjoy at least some of the show.

If you have other ideas and options, be sure to let me know in the comments section below!

Check out the other “Best Disney World Restaurants” in our series!

Sunday Round-Up June 28: Disney Food Posts From the Week

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Lots of fun food posts about Disney this week! Enjoy!

SoloFriendly takes an in-depth look at Animal Kingdom’s newest table-service restaurant, Yak and Yeti: As always, great commentary and fantastic photos. Also a plug for great Disney service, which we always like to see.

Win a pair of tickets for an advance screening of Julie & Julia with Scott Joseph Orlando and the Divas of Dish on July 23rd: A fun opportunity to preview this foodie-heaven film (starring Meryl Streep as Julia Child and Amy Adams) two weeks before it hits theaters! And, if you’re from out of town, you’ll just have to book a trip to Orlando if you win… won’t you?

The Touring Plans blog hits the China, Norway, Germany, and American Adventure pavilions on this week’s “Drinking Around the World” post: Kristen and company enjoy some Tsing Tao, Beck’s, Carlsberg, and the seasonal Beach Bum Blonde Ale…after which I hope they went and ate something absorbent!

Etckt takes a look at dining in Epcot and dining the Magic Kingdom: Rarely do you see an overview blog of dining in a particular park, so these are a great opportunity for anyone interested in seeing all of their options at once. I have to beg you to click on these links for the photography alone if nothing else, however; Matthew is skilled with a lens, ladies and gentlemen.

Orlando Sentinel’s The Dish blog highlights the Epcot Food and Wine Festival: The Epcot Food and Wine Festival is less than three months away! While details and specifics won’t be released until late July (and booking of special events will have to wait until August), Heather McPherson gives a great overview of what to expect in this post.

Lifthill’s “Walt Disney World’s Best Breakfast” article about Tonga Toast at the Kona Cafe: A good intro to the Kona cafe plus pictures of tonga toast and coffee; what could be better??

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